The present invention relates to an arrangement for displacing piece goods. More particularly, it relates to an arrangement for displacing or turning piece goods having gripping openings provided in their lateral surfaces, wherein the arrangement is composed of several gripper shafts with hook-shaped grippers mounted thereon.
The arrangements of the above-mentioned general type are known in the art. In a known arrangement for loading and unloading of pallets, the hook-shaped grippers are fixedly mounted on a gripper shaft which rotates within a predetermined angular distance. When the arrangement is designed in accordance with this construction, the piece goods with only a predetermined position pattern or surface pattern can be gripped, and more particularly such piece goods whose receiving openings correspond to the number and arrangement of the hook-shaped grippers. When it is necessary to work with different surface patterns, the known gripping arrangement must be adjusted to the new formation during each displacing step. For this purpose it is necessary to utilize special sensing devices which upon reaching of one position below the gripping arrangement sense this position and act upon the respective hook-shaped grippers on the gripper shaft. This arrangement is characterized by considerable disadvantages in the sense of its construction. Moreover, the requirement to sense each position for determination of the available gripping openings causes a considerable time loss.